Frequently Asked Questions Regarding COVID-19

Our goal is to create the safest environment for you and your families. We have developed and are implementing a strategic and safety-focused reopening plan, and we are committed to maintaining and revising the plan as we learn more about how to better meet the needs of our members, team and schools. We are here to help keep your children safer in and around the water, and are excited to get back to the pool with you! We appreciate your understanding as we navigate the challenges ahead. We are in this with you, and we are committed to being Safer. Stronger. Together.™

  • When will Goldfish Swim School reopen?
    Each individually owned and operated Goldfish Swim School is working with all state and local authorities as well as directly with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to determine when it is safe for each team to return to work and our members to return to the pool. We will keep all members informed of those timelines with email blasts, phone calls and social media communications.
  • When Goldfish Swim School reopens, is it safe to get back to the pool?
    Yes. The CDC states that there is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, spas, or water play areas. Proper operation and maintenance (including disinfection with chlorine and bromine) of these facilities should inactivate the virus in the water. Goldfish Swim School prides itself on not only meeting minimum safety standards, but exceeding most state and local standards as it pertains to water chemistry and other safety regulations (ie. lifeguarding safety standards, facility air exchanges, water turnover rates and more).
  • Will my child have the same instructor as they did before?
    Goldfish Swim School is working hard to bring all past team members back to work to keep consistency and familiarity for your child. There will be some teacher changes that are necessary, and in those cases, we will do our very best to let you know ahead of time. As always, please feel free to call us prior to the start of lessons and confirm all details prior to getting back to the pool!

    In some cases, our schools will be rewriting their schedules to fit the needs of the member demand and local guidelines, meaning that lesson times will be modified in some cases. You will be notified if that is the case for your school so that you can plan accordingly, and we can work together to find classes that work best for you, should the modified class time not accommodate your schedule.
  • How is Goldfish Swim School complying with social distancing? 
    *Note: all of our schools will comply with all state and local laws.
    We are asking that there be only one caretaker per child (when possible) while attending lessons at Goldfish Swim School until further restrictions are lifted. If bringing a sibling is necessary, we just ask that you be mindful of the other members during your time at Goldfish Swim School.  

    Seating in the parent viewing area will be modified to comply with social distancing guidelines. We are also asking families to be cognizant of other families around them as it relates to social distancing courtesies.  

    Families will be asked to arrive just a few minutes prior to their lesson start time, and we ask that you exit the pool deck and facility in a timely manner when your lessons finish. This will allow us time to clean and sanitize common areas for the next set of swimmers and guests. Please note, snacks and drinks will be discontinued during this time - we will get them going as soon as it’s safe to do so. We will have water for those that need it!  

    To limit the number of families in our facility, lesson structures may be modified. Family Swims, Birthday Parties and other non-swim lessons related programs will also be temporarily suspended, until local and state gathering guidelines specify it is safe to resume.  

    If your child moves up a level (Hooray!) or you need to change lesson days or times, we ask that you call us when you safely return home as opposed to stopping by the front desk, and we will take care of all your scheduling needs over the phone. Your school’s contact information can be found here!  

    Our team members will also be practicing social distancing within our schools.  

    In-school signage will be present to remind guests to maintain safe social distance. Keep an eye out!
  • How many people are you allowing into the school at a given time?
    We will be following all local and state guidelines as it pertains to the number of people that we can have in our schools at a given time. Our objective is to follow the plan set forth by the state authorities.
  • How are you keeping the school and environment clean; will there be any changes in amenities?
    We will be following the guidelines set forth by the CDC to clean our schools, the pool environment and all highly trafficked and touched areas of the schools. 

    The schools will be cleaned routinely during the day by our team (the CDC only recommends daily cleaning; we will clean more frequently!), noting that all highly touched areas are the prime area of focus. Our team will be trained on the best practices for cleaning and sanitizing our schools.  

    Hand sanitizer and/or antibacterial hand soap will be available throughout our schools in obvious areas for use.  

    We will be removing many commonly used items from around the school, including: some pool deck equipment and toys, the kids play area toys and books, hair dryers, communal goggles and many other shared items. We hope you understand this is for your safety, and we hope to bring these conveniences back when it’s safe to do so.  

    Cleaning by our contracted professional agency will continue and, as always, they will use their commercial-grade cleaning supplies that have always been used at our schools.  

    Chalk, quarter candy and other easily accessible items will be removed for the time being.
  • How do we play our part in keeping the school environment and others safe?
    Member Health Assessments: Prior to entering our schools, members will be asked to self-assess their health and the health of their children. If anyone is not feeling well, has a fever, shortness of breath or any COVID-19 like symptoms, or has recently been exposed to COVID-19, we ask that they cancel their lesson. Makeup Lessons will be provided as needed to ensure members who are not feeling well can stay home and rest up!  

    Personal Protective Equipment for Members: Face masks that cover the mouth and nose are strongly encouraged in all of our schools, and will be required for entry where recommended by state and local health authorities. Please note, children will not be required to wear their face coverings in the pool, but we do ask that they wear them upon entering and exiting the school as required by state and local authorities.  

    Member and Swimmer Distancing: Members are asked to maintain social distance from one another in the parent viewing area. Chairs in the viewing area will be set up to reflect state and local recommendations. Children will also be seated at a safe social distance from one another in the pool during lessons, where required.
  • How does Goldfish Swim School manage their pools?
    Goldfish Swim School takes great pride in maintaining a safe pool environment using best-in-class technology and operations for our members and guests. Here are some steps we take to ensure that you enter a clean and safe environment:  
    - We use an automated chlorine generation sanitization system: we convert salt to make chlorine right here in our school to help keep our pools clean and safe! According to the CDC, proper operation, maintenance and disinfection of pools with sanitizing agents such as chlorine should inactivate many viruses - including COVID-19. In fact, there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of pools.  
    - We use a chemical monitoring and control system: part of our Golden Experience is making sure that all of our cleaning chemicals in the pool are in balance, ensuring a safe and clean swimming environment with no irritation to our swimmers.
  • How are you protecting your team members' health and safety?
    Team Member Health Assessments: Prior to entering our schools, employees will be asked to self-assess their health. If anyone is not feeling well, has a fever, shortness of breath or any COVID-19 like symptoms, or has recently been exposed to COVID-19, they will not be permitted to work until symptoms have cleared and/or appropriate quarantine requirements have been satisfied.  
    - On-call team members will be available to fill in as needed for employees who do not meet the health requirements to work, to limit disruption to your lesson or Golden Experience. This means your child may have a different instructor for their lesson. We will do our best to communicate any instructor changes prior to your class time.  

    Personal Protective Equipment for Team Members: Face masks that cover the mouth and nose are strongly encouraged in all of our schools, and will be provided for employees where recommended by state and local health authorities.  
    - Please note, team members will not be required to wear their face masks in the pool. Face shields may be worn by instructors, and will be required for instructors if deemed necessary by local health authorities.
  • When will my billing begin?
    Your payment reserves your enrollment with Goldfish Swim School and ensures that your child has a place in lessons with us. 

    Existing Members: We will notify you before we resume billing. Billing will start back up again when we resume swim lessons.  

    New Members: We will bill you when you enroll, and on the first of the month while you are a member with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Reliable Answers to Our Most Popular Questions

At Goldfish Swim School, we understand that you may have a lot of questions and we’re here to answer all of them. We want you to trust us to take amazing care of your child and help him or her grow socially, emotionally and intellectually while having a whole lot of fun. We hope that the answers we provide to the following FAQs offer all of the information you need.

Have a more specific question? Call to speak with a friendly member of our team.

  • How was the Goldfish Swim School philosophy developed?
    Stimulating environments are significantly beneficial to a child’s cognitive development. Studies show that children learn important life skills when they are safe, supervised and able to explore, discover and solve problems in their environment. This principle is the baseline we’ve used to engineer our award-winning tropical facilities, train our instructors and guide our curriculum.
  • What does science have to do with swim lessons?
    We’re happy you asked! Let us be the first to say that you can leave your scientific measuring tools at home. Goldfish Swim School uses proven research to create a unique swim experience and class curriculum to help maximize your child’s cognitive development, both in and out of the water. Decades of scientific studies show that the most optimal way for kids to learn is through guided play because it provides a solid foundation for emotional and intellectual growth in regards to problem-solving skills, creativity and academic knowledge. Everything we do at Goldfish Swim School is backed by this science, which is why we’ve decided to call it The Science of SwimPlay®. Your child may just appear to be having fun, but a lot more is happening beneath the surface. Our trusted instructors and staff work to boost our students’ development by celebrating every achievement they make on an individual level. Our methods allow your family to focus on fun while we make sure that your swimmer is learning and growing behind the scenes.
  • What is The Science of SwimPlay®?
    The Science of SwimPlay® is our holistic swim school philosophy that develops life skills in and out of the water in our one-of-a-kind, play-based learning environment. We’re proud to have taken everything that’s scientifically proven to help kids learn, including achievements, safe environments, fun and guided play, and packaged it up into one experience. Through swimming lessons that are rooted in The Science of SwimPlay®, we’re able to provide kids with all of the tools they need to boost their cognitive development while learning important life skills.
  • When can I sign up for lessons?
    Anytime! Our swim lessons are continuous rather than session-based. We believe that a consistent approach to swimming is important for swim skill development and water safety awareness. Reach out to your local Goldfish Swim School for more details.
  • Why should my child take swimming lessons year-round?
    We believe that swim lessons should be offered year-round because it helps our students maintain and improve their swimming skills and knowledge of water safety. Our perpetual lessons are also more convenient because they’re provided on a schedule that works with yours. You’ll always have the option to make changes to your lesson times if needed.
  • How do I register for lessons?
    Complete a Registration form. Feel free to contact us if you’re unsure of what level to sign your child up for. Next, you’ll want to call or visit us to register your child. This is when you’ll reserve your spot in class with an account number, debit card or credit card. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your child’s first lesson.
  • What if I need to cancel my child’s swimming lessons?
    No problem. Simply fill out our short withdrawal form and submit it 30 days prior to your last lesson.
  • Why do I need to give a 30-day notice before withdrawing from a class?
    Due to the popularity of our swim programs, there is typically a long list of families that are waiting to fill your spot. This advanced notice gives us the time we need to make necessary adjustments to our schedule.
  • What if I join in the middle of the month?
    No worries! We’ll adjust your payments as needed to ensure that you’re not overcharged.
  • Do you offer make-ups for missed swim lessons?
    Yes, we allow up to 12 make-up lessons per year. If you need to cancel, simply call, email or cancel online before the start of your lesson. You can book your make-up lesson up to one week in advance and it can be used anytime while enrolled with us. We cannot guarantee that a semi-private or private lesson can be made up with a semi-private or private lesson. However, you may choose to participate in a Family Swim class instead.
  • How do I pay for lessons?
    We use an automatic payment system so there’s no need to worry about having to run to the ATM before every lesson.
  • Why do you charge in advance?
    Your payment reserves your enrollment with Goldfish Swim School and ensures that your child has a place with us.
  • Do you offer refunds, credits or transfers?
    Unfortunately, we do not issue these, but we can schedule a make-up lesson at a time that’s convenient for you. We can work with your schedule!
  • When do lessons end?
    Because Goldfish Swim School runs perpetually rather than seasonally, your lessons will continue indefinitely until you withdraw from our school. We love seeing children graduate through our levels and move on to Swim Force.
  • If I need to withdraw, will my preferred time, day and instructor be available when I return?
    While we cannot guarantee that there will be an available spot at your preferred day and time with your favorite instructor, we’ll do everything we can to work with your schedule and preferences. We recommend that you remain enrolled, even if you do miss a few lessons. We offer make-ups for the classes you do miss and your child would benefit more from some swim lessons rather than none.
  • What happens if my child is less (or more) advanced than the other children in his or her class?
    Don’t worry. Our attentive instructors pick up on skills differences very quickly and are aware of the abilities that your child needs to have in order to maintain placement in his or her level. We understand that everyone learns in their own ways and at their own speeds, which is why our instructors observe and adjust teaching methods as needed. We’re constantly evaluating our students and are very flexible when it comes to working with each child’s individual strengths and weaknesses.
  • How do I change the date and time of my lessons?
    Our front desk team would be happy to adjust your lesson schedule for you. You can also check back with us as often as you’d like to see if more convenient lesson times are available.
  • Do I need to change classes when my child changes levels?
    It depends! We will do our best to help you keep your same day and time when your child advances a level. If we can’t, we will work with you to find a new day and time that fits your schedule.
  • What if my child’s group class only has one or two students?
    While this is not common, we can find an appropriate solution for your child if this does occur. We want to make sure that all of our students have the ability to interact with other swimmers so they can socialize and grow in our safe, stimulating environment.
  • Can I request my child’s lessons to be taught by his or her favorite teacher?
    While we cannot make any promises, we’ll certainly take your requests into account and try to accommodate your preferences as best as we can. We understand that different students respond to different teaching styles and we’ll make sure your child has the opportunity to receive the full learning experience.
  • What happens if my favorite instructor is moved to a different lesson time?
    Sometimes our instructors need to change lesson times to accommodate their own life schedules. However, we can assure you that all of our Goldfish Swim School instructors undergo a thorough hiring process and an extensive training period. You can trust that they’re all fun, patient and more than qualified to ensure the safety of our swimmers.